Marvin Thorpe makes his point, gets a win 2011.05.11

Marvin Thorpe of Fayette says that he didn’t really expect to have his traffic ticket nullified. He just wanted to make a point.

Surprise.

Not only did he win the contested case, but he ended up in a front page story in the Norwalk (Ohio) Reflector newspaper.

Thorp was returning from a visit with his parents in Middleburg Heights March 20 when he was pulled over for speeding in the town of Wakeman.

Thorp doesn’t deny that he failed to slow down soon enough as he entered the town—he said he was heading west late in the day and didn’t see the warning sign soon enough due to the sun—but he does tire of seeing so many people pulled over for speeding. It’s simply a speed trap, he says.

Thorp succeeded in court by contesting the marking of the Wakeman police cruiser.

State law specifies that a police car must be marked “in some distinctive manner or color.” The Wakeman car is white, which is neutral, not a distinctive color, Thorp told the judge.

The car has a light bar that looks like a car-top carrier, he said, and although there are some markings on the car, the typical door panel painting is absent.

If a judge agrees that a car is not properly marked, the law states that the officer driving the vehicle is “incompetent to testify.”

That’s what happened in Norwalk Municipal Court. The judge agreed with Thorp and ruled him not guilty.

That gave Thorp satisfaction in a couple ways. He made his point about the speed trap and he succeeded after his wife said it was idiotic to fight it.

“I really didn’t go in there thinking I’d win,” he said.

Now he can sit back and read the amusing comments on the Reflector’s website—both the supporters (“I think you should moving or run for public office so you can show us the correct way to run a small town) and the detractors (“The more I see your picture, the more you sicken me.”)

And no doubt about it, the next time he’s returning from Middleburg Heights, he’ll be looking for a newly marked police cruiser.

GAMES DAY—Finn Molitierno (right) celebrates a goal during a game of Nok Hockey with his sister, Kyla. The two tried out a variety of games Saturday at Stair District Library’s annual International Games Day event. One of the activities featured a sort of scavenger hunt in which participants had to locate facts presented in the Smithsonian Hometown Teams exhibit. The traveling show left Morenci’s library Tuesday, wrapping up a series of programs that began Oct. 2. Additional photos are on page 7.

STRANGE STUFF—Morenci Elementary School students learn that blue isn’t really blue when seen through the right color of lens. Volunteer April Pike presents the lesson to students at one of the many stations brought to the school by the COSI science center. The theme of this year’s visit was the solar system.

MAPLE leaves show their fall colors in a puddle at Morenci’s Riverside Natural Area. “This was a great year for colors,” said local weather watcher George Isobar. Chilly mornings will give way to seasonable fall temperatures for the next two weeks.

MORENCI Marching Band member Brittany Dennis keeps the beat Friday during the half-time show of the Morenci/Pittsford football game. Color guard member Jordan Cordts is at the left. The band performed this season under the direction of Doyle Rodenbeck who served as Morenci’s band director in the 1970s. He’s serving as a substitute during a family leave.

MOVING EAST—Utility workers continue their slow progress east along U.S. 20 south of Morenci. New electrical poles are put in place before wiring is moved into place.

A PERFORMER named Biligbaatar, a member of the AnDa Union troupe from Inner Mongolia, dances at Stair District Library last week during a visit to the Midwest. The nine-member group blends a variety of traditions from Inner and Outer Mongolia. The music is described as drawing from “all the Mongol tribes that Genghis Khan unified.” The group considers itself music gatherers whose goal is to preserve traditional sounds of Mongolia. Biligbaatar grew up among traditional herders who live in yurts. Additional photos are on the back page of this week’s Observer.

HOLDEN HUTCHISON gives a hug to a black bear cub—the product of a taxidermist’s skills—at the Michigan DNR’s Great Youth Jamboree. The event on Sunday marked the fourth year of the Jamboree. Additional photos are on page 12.